


Resurgence

by stirlingphoenix



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Space, Bounty Hunters, Corruption, Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasy, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 12:04:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4521261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stirlingphoenix/pseuds/stirlingphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As he travels though the vast, never-ending of expanse of the universe with his ship's AI as his only companion, Zoro has become well acquainted with the true meaning of loneliness. One day, when an alleged criminal becomes a stowaway on his ship, he finds out just how much he's missed from the years spent in solitude. Written for the opscifiandfantasy event on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a late submission for the opscifiandfantasy event on tumblr, which is hosted by the amazing lunarshores. Thank you!!

_**Somewhere in the Zandroas Galaxy...** _

"We are now entering the atmosphere of planet A7A8715. While largely understudied, planet A7A8715 is a mostly-"

"Common name, please, Moira. Not all of us are familiar with our official ICoPR names."

"Is that an attempt at humor, Roronoa?" The AI that controlled Zoro's ship, or Moira, as he liked to call her, was clearly unamused. Her monotonous voice lacked any sort of humor by default, but to Zoro, she seemed even more indifferent whenever he tried to tease her a bit.

"According to the Intergalactic Council of Planetary Relations, a ship's captain must be familiar with the government rulebook, which includes the proper planetary naming system," she concluded, somehow sounding a little too arrogant for Zoro's liking.

"I'm familiar enough," Zoro replied defensively as he pulled a data chip that was no more than the size of a matchbox out of a nearby drawer. "See I have it right here."

"You know I cannot. Furthermore, having an object and being knowledgeable of that object's contents are inequivalent matters," Moira countered.

"Hey. Since when did you develop an attitude?" _Must be from that new upgrade I gave you last week,_ Zoro thought to himself as he shoved the chip (with a bit more force than necessary) into the drive of Moira's control panel, which was a feature that existed solely for manual usage. Zoro could not deny that he'd thought about taking for himself control at times, but despite her tongue, she had yet to lead him astray. Almost immediately, a series of holographic documents appeared before him. Zoro lightly touched the blue lettering and scrolled downwards with ease until he came across a page entitled 'Table of Contents'. Before he could even begin to explain his point, Moira stopped him.

"You'd be better off scouring an index."

An audible sigh escaped Zoro's lips. As annoying as Moira could be at times, he still preferred the slightly condescending tone over the long periods of silence that began right after the ship took off, and lasted until it was about to land. Aside from the unnecessary amounts of 'instructional' information, and the intermittent status update on the ship's condition, Moira never uttered a word. It was probably for the best, though. Zoro wasn't a huge conversationalist himself, and idle chit-chat unnerved him unlike anything else. Between an AI system that existed only to deliver pertinent information, and a man who wasn't quite sure how to strike up a meaningful conversation with anyone, silence was obviously the preferable choice.

"Common name, please?" Zoro repeated.

If Moira had any actual human-like attributes, he knew she would have given him an agitated sigh as well.

"Hydros, the marine planet. Speculated to be the home of countless mythical sea creatures." Her voice was back to the unfeeling, dreary tone she usually possessed.

"Speculated?" Zoro couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. It wasn't often that Moira was unable to provide him with definitive and absolute answers.

"The data is inconclusive."

Moira didn't elaborate further, nor did she need to. The unspoken words were much louder than the ones that were said. There was a reason no one knew anything about this planet, but it wasn't because the lack of trying. When Moira didn't explain, Zoro's mind easily filled in the blanks.

_Those who go there don't come back._

Moira continued to list off (subjectively) useful information about the planet's climate, and the natural resources that could be found deep within the ocean's murky depths. There was probably more, but Zoro wasn't paying much attention. While her voice was cold and lacked any form of emotion, he still found it oddly comforting to listen to every once in a while, even when his mind wasn't processing her words.

While Moira continued to drone on, Zoro started to focus on his sole reason for venturing out to such unchartered, and potentially dangerous territory (not that the latter concerned him in the least). His eyes wandered over to the sight of an old 'wanted' poster that had been pinned to the wall for as long as Zoro could remember. He figured the bulletin had to have been up there for at least three years; it wasn't long after his journey initially began when the ICoPR first put a bounty on the man who was currently staring back at with dark, lifeless eyes. Zoro wasn't normally the type to judge a person on appearances alone, but the cruel look on his face certainly made him look like he truly was guilty of the heinous crimes he was accused of. But then again, the wanted man's innocence, or lack thereof, wasn't for Zoro to decide. This man was essentially a meal ticket for Zoro; once he turned the alleged crook in and received the bounty from ICoPR, the man's fate did not concern him.

"...over 99% of Hydros' surface is covered in dihydrogen monoxide, which is saturated an abnormally high concentration of sodium chloride…"

_Extra salty water. Got it._ Zoro rolled his eyes as he tuned back into Moira's 'educational' speech. A frown spread across his face as he recalled the ridiculous amount of time it had taken him to figure out what she was actually saying with that chemical jargon she seemed insistent on using. He always swore that with each upgrade, he'd purposely downgrade Moira's vernacular to a level that was much more accessible to him, but he never did. Moira was an amazingly reliable AI system, he wasn't about to try anything that would screw that up.

By now, the ship was flying just a few meters above Hydros' vast, unending ocean. To Zoro's chagrin, locating the less than 1% of dry land proved to be a difficult and mind-numbingly tedious task. Zoro would have likened the experience to finding a needle in a haystack, but he suspected that finding a tiny needle in a haystack that was as high as a mountain would have been easier than spotting an island that looked like it could support non-aquatic life in this vast sea of blue, which was undoubtedly filled with the planet's primary inhabitants. Luckily, the ocean beneath him was calm, allowing him to get the perfect view of the world beneath him.

"Can you sense anything, Moira?" Zoro asked, more out of boredom than anything else.

"My scanners indicate that we are quickly approaching a relatively sizable landmass of seventy-six square kilometers. It appears to be volcanic in nature."

"Any activity?"

"The last eruption was approximately twenty-five Hydros years ago," Moira answered.

"What's that equal to in Gaitros years?" Zoro figured he ought to know if the volcano he was about to land on was due to burst anytime soon.

"Approximately 13.9 years." As per usual, her response was immediate. One aspect Zoro really enjoyed about Moira was that she always seemed to know everything off the top of her circuits; it was pretty damn convenient.

"So we've got nothing to worry about then?"

"Statistically speaking," she corrected.

"Good enough." Zoro shrugged. "What about life support capabilities?"

"None, although, shallow caves at the volcano's base are usable for temporary shelter during a storm," she elaborated.

"Or for a hiding spot."

"It would be advisable to explore," Moira agreed.

"Sounds like a plan." The satisfied smirk that graced his lips was more than enough proof of his growing excitement. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had last stepped on land and took a job. If his dwindling savings was anything to go by, it had been far too long. He never got any sort of enjoyment from a job that was basically the legal form of human hunting, but the thought of breathing fresh air again was more than enough incentive for him to feel an apprehensive sense of happiness.

By the time Moira had landed the ship at the island shore (as far away from the volcano as safely possible), Zoro had already packed the meager essentials he would need for his search, which consisted of a light, a rope, and most importantly, his three katana (which incidentally were his most prized possessions). In addition, he carried one last item with him; Zoro never told Moira about this, but he always kept a lucky item of sorts with him in his back pocket. It was nonsensical in every way, and he knew that, but it had come from the girl he considered to be his sister. To him, that fact alone meant everything.

"Are you sure you won't take anything else?" It was a question Moira asked each and every time Zoro stepped off the ship; she couldn't see everything Zoro took with him (or didn't take with him), but somehow she knew Zoro never took anything that was considered more 'high-tech'.

It was her way of showing concern, he supposed.

"Call for backup if I'm not back by nightfall," Zoro teased just as he took his first step onto Hydros land, which looked strikingly similar to the sandy beaches he used to see on Gaitros.

"I'll give you seventy-two hours," Moira replied. "If you can't find your way back within three days, I might be concerned."

"Tch, save yourself the trouble." Zoro rolled his eyes in annoyance.

_Honestly where did she pick up such an attitude from?_ he wondered bitterly.

Moira didn't respond to that, nor did Zoro say anything else. He simply kept walking, intent on finding and apprehending the man he came to Hydros for, and doing it as quickly as possible, if only to prove Moira wrong.

Wandering around in unfamiliar territories was quickly becoming less and less of an unusual occurrence for Zoro. It didn't really bother him; he always knew his goals would take him to faraway places where he wouldn't be able to identify any of the buildings or landmarks he passed by (not that recognition would have done him any good), nor would he have a comrade he could rely during his long and arduous voyage. Zoro had accepted his situation long ago, and not once had he ever thought of turning back.

He went wherever his dreams led him; the countless opportunities he was given to further his goals were never ignored, but he'd be lying if he said that his objectives were always the main priority. After all, nothing was free in this world, nor in any other world that existed in any galaxy he knew of. Means to support himself had to come from somewhere, which of course, that was why he found himself exploring a potentially lethal, hopefully not entirely deserted cave in the base of a questionably active volcano.

A typical job, really.

The florescent light of his flashlight shined brightly against the black, metamorphic rock that formed the various stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the even more threatening stalagmites that protruded up from the cave floor. Walking across the pointed sets of stone that must have been sharper than his katana blade proved to be an arduous task; he was beginning to doubt Moira's speculation that anyone could use this deadly tripping hazard as a safe haven, even temporarily.

Just when he was about to turn back and attempt to find an entirely different cave, his eyes fell upon an eerily glowing pond that he could only assume consisted of even more salt water. He stumbled across the jagged cave floor until he could see his own reflection within the transparent depths of the water. The water's shade of blue was unlike anything Zoro had ever seen before. Its color was akin to the beautiful, bright cerulean of the Gaitros sky, and its crystal clarity was as lucid as the glass windows of his ship.

The sight was utterly spectacular, and it left Zoro completely mesmerized. As he observed the radiance of the small lagoon, he became unaware that he was slowly losing all sense of his surroundings, leaving him vulnerable and ignorant of everything outside of his current focus.

He couldn't recall how it happened; aside from reluctantly admitting to the startling lack of attention he had given the situation, he had no clue how he found himself in such a terrifying situation. The next thing he knew, he found himself diving head first into the enchanting body of water, and within seconds, his entire being was engulfed by the water's alluring depths.

Zoro didn't have a chance to act; the water itself seemed like a sentient being, a vicious, destructive one at that. He couldn't understand what was going on, but he tried to fight for all he was worth. His limbs flailed and floundered through the water in a miserable attempt to swim back to the oxygen-rich surface, but something wasn't right. The viscosity of Hydros' water was much greater than Zoro was used to; it felt like he was trying to swim through a substance thicker than pure molasses. His limbs would barely move through the thick liquid, and despite every effort he made to the contrary, his body continued to sink further and further into the bottomless pond.

As he clawed at the water, attacking its gel-like properties with every bit of strength he could muster, his innate need for air grew. As he struggled for his very life, his lungs began to sting. His lips had remained shut during the entire endeavor, and he was in desperate need of exhaling. He knew he couldn't, for there wasn't any breathable oxygen around him, but his body continued to fight against him. Eventually, to his dismay, he couldn't prevail against his own urgent demands, and at last, his jaw unclenched itself on its own accord.

Just as Zoro knew it would, the water mercilessly invaded his being and began to choke him with an unrelenting wrath. The thick substance easily slid down his throat and filled his pharynx before invading his lungs, causing them to burn with a raging agony that he had never suffered through before.

It was one of those truly rare moments where he genuinely feared for his life. Death itself wasn't the issue; his own mortality was inevitable, he had always known that. Zoro simply wasn't ready for it yet. He still had so much to do, so many more goals to accomplish. It couldn't end like this, not when he had just barely begun his journey…

By now, Zoro's vision was beginning to blur. Spots of black blurred his vision as he continued to struggle and resist his very own demise. His mind refused to accept anything less than total salvation, but his body begged to differ. The unyielding burn that spread throughout his chest was relentless in its outcry for relief, and his arms and legs soon became paralyzed with exhaustion. He was sinking now, he could feel himself drifting downwards, unable to anything except let himself descend deeper into an unknown abyss.

Just when his frantic mind had lost all hope and resigned to this desolate fate, Zoro felt a pair of strong hands wrap around his upper arms and begin to drag his limp body up towards the surface. He was on the brink of losing consciousness, but nevertheless, he forced himself to keep his awareness.

He looked up towards his savior, only to be blindsided with the most incredible, wholly magnificent sight he had ever seen.

_Damn, Moira wasn't kidding around about mythical creatures._

At first, he appeared to Zoro as a man who somehow possessed the crucial ability to swim through the viscous water that had congealed around his form from the moment he had fallen in. His midnight blue hair remained slicked back against his head as he pulled Zoro through the water with an unwavering speed that Zoro could hardly believe was possible, and his yellow eyes held a look of pure determination, as if he were set on rescuing Zoro for some wholly unfathomable reason.

Even with his consciousness fading, Zoro made it a point to take in every single detail about this man. He didn't know how long he could keep this up for, nor did he know where he would be when (and if) he came to, but somehow, if he could remember the man who saved him from this painful demise, then he'd make it through.

Zoro would have liked to say that the most peculiar feature about this man were the intricate tattoos that cover his torso and forearms. They weaved together in an elaborate fashion, making some sort of elegant design that Zoro's darkening vision couldn't quite make out. As stunning as his body art was, they paled in comparison to the lower half of his body, which made Zoro think that he might be hallucinating. If it all was just some vivid trick his oxygen-deprived mind was playing on him, his imagination had certainly gone all out in terms of creativity.

From the waist down, this man, whoever he was, simply wasn't human. Zoro could hardly believe his eyes as his gaze settled upon the glimmering black scales that covered a tail that must have been longer than the upper half of his body. Flecks of gold reflected brightly off the water, leaving Zoro all but mesmerized. The end of his tail bifurcated into two powerful fins that easily propelled him (and Zoro, by proxy) through the gelatin water.

Just before Zoro lost complete consciousness, reluctantly allowing his mind to slip into the cold, unfeeling darkness, one last, wholly curious, almost random thought, drifted through his mind.

_Will I ever see him again?_

* * *

Everything had been shrouded in darkness. And eerie silence claimed his surroundings, completing the very semblance of nothingness, which Zoro supposed was meant to be his one and only clue in helping him realize that this was the afterlife. It honestly wouldn't have surprised him, given his opinion (or lack thereof) on religion, but one, alarmingly obvious fact kept him from accepting that this, whatever it was, was the end.

He could feel everything.

Soaking wet clothes clung to his clammy skin, making him feel he was freezing on a slab of pure ice, and well on his way towards a very real, hypothermic death. But even that was a lie; he ground beneath him was frigid and hard, certainly giving the unpleasant sensation that accompanies the touch of ice, but he didn't have to see in order to know where he really was. That fact alone meant he was still very much alive.

As if some sort of benevolent being had saw fit to let his theory be proven correct, a small, almost inaudible click echoed throughout the cavern walls and not a second later, a blinding light flooded the surrounding area, perfectly illuminating the scene before him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the intense brightness that threatened to overwhelm his vision, and even longer for his limbs listen to his desire to move.

With an almost exaggerated amount of effort, Zoro managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. With one glance at the bed of jagged rock that surrounded him, Zoro realized that whoever had saved him, had also been generous enough to place him in the one spot in the entire cave that wasn't covered with deadly-looking stalagmites.

His gaze shifted to the left, towards the source of the light. For the briefest of seconds, he saw the outline of someone else sitting at the edge of the pond he had nearly drowned in. Again, he appeared to be human, his eyes traveled downwards, he caught only a glimpse of that same, radiant, nearly luminescent tail before the light (which he realized later, was his flashlight that the creature had been holding) fell to the floor, causing a loud, obnoxious 'clang' to resound throughout the cavern.

"Oi! Wait up!"

Zoro's body seemed to move on its own accord; with a nimble quickness that was the complete opposite of what his being seemed to be capable of only a moment ago, Zoro rose to a standing position before running to the pond. He didn't know what he could to repay this creature, or _merman_ , as his mind provided, but at the very least, he could thank him.

A conversation seemed to be the absolute last thing the merman wanted, however. Zoro had barely taken one step towards him before jumping back into the pond, leaving not so much as a splash or a ripple in his wake. By the time Zoro got to the lagoon, the merman was long gone, not even the slightest of traces could be seen within the seemingly serene water's crystal clear depths.

As if his mind feared being pulled back into the water's fatal clutches, Zoro subconsciously took a few steps back, wondering what he should do. Ultimately, he knew there wasn't anything he could do; he didn't know the first thing about merpeople, but he was certain that this one in particular, wouldn't be coming back to the surface anytime soon, not while he was still around, at least.

Waiting would be pointless, but Zoro was still adamant about thanking the merman who had saved his life, and luckily, he finally came to a solution. A small smile played upon his lips as he reached into his back pocket, taking out his 'lucky' charm. Obviously its luck had run out for him, but maybe it would be useful to someone else.

It was a simple charm, made of a blue, metal alloy from the planet Lystos, the home planet of his dearest friend. The metal had been molded into a symbol that Zoro didn't recognize, but years ago, when it had first been given to him, his friend had insisted that it was the Lystos character for 'friendship'. He remembered how sappy he thought she was being at the time in his youthful state of mind, but now he realized just how much her companionship had meant to him, especially with the solitary lifestyle he currently had. Zoro looked over the charm one last time; it had served him well over the years, and had given him the motivation to keep fighting for himself and his goals, even in the bleakest of moments.

"It's not much, but hopefully, this will be as useful to you, as it was for me." He doubted his savior would hear him, but for some reason, saying nothing felt inappropriate.

Zoro set the charm on the ledge, before turning away. He had nothing else to say, and furthermore, the longer he stayed, the longer the merman would stay away too. With his mind made up, Zoro made his way back to the cave's entrance, still having every intention of find the wanted man he had originally come to Hydros for.

The compensation for his troubles wouldn't be nearly enough, but it would be far better than nothing.

* * *

_**Ten Years Later. Altraoas Galaxy: Planet S8S2534: Calatros** _

The cheap whiskey that ran down his throat was surprisingly smooth; he found the tingling sensation that accompanied the liquor's harsh taste to be oddly enjoyable. He had made the change up from his usual drink on a whim, and he could confidently say that it wasn't at all disappointing, definitely not a bad drink, especially for only one-hundred and twenty-seven nebulocs.

The empty glass Zoro had set on the counter had barely been idle for two seconds before it was filled to the brim with the exact same drink. His gaze shifted upwards until he met the eyes of the bartender who had just poured him another drink without needing to be asked first.

"Thanks." Zoro bowed his head slightly, giving the man a brief nod in appreciation.

"How's it taste?" he asked. The cheerful smile he wore never left his face as Zoro downed the glass's contents in one gulp.

"'S good. Really good, actually." Not surprisingly, the generous bartender gave him het another refill. Zoro however, felt like striking up some conversation. It was an unusual behavior for him, but after drifting in the cold blackness of space for the last ten months with Moira as his one and only companion, he couldn't help but feel a bit chatty.

"Where's it come from?"

The bartender's smile faltered ever so slightly; his gaze remained fixed on Zoro, as if he were closely evaluating him for some unknown purpose. The silence that now surrounded the bar soon became too awkward for Zoro, and the fact that it still looked like the bartender aimed to burn holes through his skull from his intense staring didn't help.

"Depends," he said, finally breaking the silence. His gaze shifted from one side of the room to the other, clearly intent on ensuring the privacy of the situation. "Can ya keep a secret?"

Zoro was a bit taken back by the question, although, judging by the bartender's odd behavior, he couldn't say it wasn't all that surprising. He'd always considered himself to be a reliable person; he was undoubtedly the type of friend that anyone could easily confide in without any worry of a breach in confidentiality. Even if he did inexplicably come down with an unheard of case of the 'blabber-mouths', the only one he'd be able to talk to about it was Moira, who he was certain couldn't care less about the secret, possibly illegal activities of a barkeep.

"Yeah?" His bewildered state of made his answer sound more like a question, but the bartender seemed to be more than pleased with his response.

Just like that, bartender's menacing demeanor was gone, and was replaced with the lively attitude that he had been sporting only moments ago. His voice came out as a little more than a whisper, but it was still loud enough for Zoro to hear.

"I made it myself." He smiled indicated that he obviously took a lot of pride in his homemade drink.

"Well I'll be damned," Zoro replied returning the bartender's smile with an impressed smirk of his own. "What's your secret?"

A rich, hearty laugh filled the nearly empty bar; Zoro wasn't sure what he said was all that funny, but he rather enjoyed the resonant sound. It really had been a long time since he'd been around such inviting company.

"It's a family recipe that's been handed down for generations. I reckon I'd be skinned alive if I shared it with anyone who wasn't my kin."

Zoro could tell from the bartender's tone that he was obviously joking, but even so, he wasn't about to press the matter any further. He got in enough trouble on his own; he didn't need anyone else's problems to compound his misadventures.

"Well in any case, it's some of the best alcohol I've had in a long time," Zoro said. He took a sip of the drink the bartender had given him before, this time deciding to nurse his beverage. "I'm surprised this place is as dead as it is."

"Eh." The bartender simply shrugged, running a hand through his electric blue hair. "It's a slow night, and being in the middle of nowhere really doesn't help anything."

"'Suppose not," Zoro agreed, taking another sip of his whiskey.

"So what brings you out this way?" His glanced shifted downwards towards the three katana that were firmly strapped to Zoro's right hip. "I doubt you're some kind of eccentric whiskey connoisseur that travels the galaxy in search of the best and finest alcohol."

"Ha, no." Zoro shook his head in the negative. "It's just where my journey's brought me, I guess." Zoro took another swig from his glass, effectively emptying its contents. Perhaps it was just him, but the liquor seemed to be getting smoother, and dare he say, more savory with each drink.

"Journey, eh?" He tried to refill Zoro's glass for what must have been the third or fourth time now, but Zoro raised his hand slightly, wordlessly declining another round. He knew he could've easily taken several more drinks without feeling any effects, but something in his gut told him he'd had enough for now.

"Got some sort of goal you're after?" he asked, taking the opportunity to further the conversation as he started to polish the counter with an old bar rag that Zoro saw him pull out from under the bar.

"I guess you could say that," Zoro chuckled. "To tell you the truth, it's kinda been put on the back burner. I've been making my living with bounty hunting lately."

_Lately._ Zoro mentally cringed at the thought. He had meant to use hunting as a temporary gig just to get some extra money. After all, keeping his ship in pristine condition and Moira's navigational system up to date wasn't cheap.

_What's it been now, ten years or so?_ Zoro mused to himself.

"I'd imagine that's not a real stable job."

"Better than you'd think, actually," Zoro replied casually. "The pay is shit, but I'm pretty damn good at what I do."

"Been saving up then?" the bartender asked.

"I wish," Zoro chuckled softly, but the sound was hollow and devoid of merriment. "Everything's expensive as hell."

"You're preaching to the choir, kid." He gave Zoro a sad smile as he finished his clean-up routine. "It's rough out there."

Before Zoro could respond, the bartender padded over to the back wall that Zoro hadn't paid any attention to before, and pulled down one of the numerous holographic 'wanted' posters that covered peeling plaster.

"Say, I dunno if this'll help or not, but this should earn you enough nebulocs so you'll be able to move forward with your travels, instead of bouncing around from place to place in pursuit of the closest bounty."

"Doubt it." His response sounded much more disrespectful than he intended, but he couldn't imagine a bounty for any single individual to be more than twenty thousand nebulocs. That kind of money certainly wasn't anything to sneeze at, but in this society, it took a lot more to make a decent living.

"ICoPR's too cheap for that," Zoro reiterated. "For them to pay out any halfway decent sum, the crook they're after must be worse than the bloodthirsty monsters that come from nightmares."

"According to the description given by the ICoPR, you're actually not that far off the mark. He's wanted for the abduction and murder of at least five-hundred individuals from the planet Hydros." The bartender ran his fingers across the hologram, allowing Zoro to see the severely limited amount of data ICoPR provided.

"Five-hundred?" If Zoro had still been drinking, he was sure he would have accidentally spit out his beverage in pure surprise. "How the hell does anyone get away with that?"

The bartender shrugged. "Beats me. In addition, he's wanted for multiple unrelated homicide and grand larceny cases. At 440,000,000 nebulocs, this guy's got the highest bounty that's ever been set by the Intergalactic Council of Planetary Relations…"

The bartender continued to discuss the various theories and speculations ICoPR had about the perp's whereabouts, and where he was suspected to turn up next, but Zoro wasn't listening. Even he man's worth was a fact that was instantly forgotten. Zoro completely lost the ability to focus on anything else from the moment he laid eyes on the alleged criminal's photograph.

He hadn't seen that face in almost ten years, back in that dark moment where he had been on the verge of death. The memories surrounding that incident had long since faded, but the occurrence itself, along with the being who had saved his life, were forever etched in his mind.

Yellow, almost golden, eyes stared back at him through the picture. His gaze was cryptic; Zoro could tell from one look alone that the man had his share of secrets, and perhaps even a few skeletons buried deep within his closet, but one thing was for certain. He didn't have the look of a mass murderer.

His dark blue hair that was nearly black in appearance and his dark skin only served to confirm what he already knew.

"Something wrong?" the bartender asked, giving him a look of pure concern.

"I think…" Zoro paused, taking a huge gulp of air which did absolutely nothing in terms of calming his nerves.

"I think I know him."


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of steel-toed boots hitting the pavement at a dysrhythmic presto pace pounded in his ears as he ran as fast as he possibly could. At this point, he no longer knew if he was being followed or not, but he didn't care to find out. He had come here for two things, and now that he had them, it was time for him to get the hell out of dodge.

He supposed that it would have been much simpler if he had killed the large group of hunters that chosen to pursue him; it certainly would have saved him the energy, which at this point, was something he couldn't afford to waste. Even so, senseless murder wasn't his style, not if he could avoid it. He just hoped that this one, 'generous' act didn't end up screwing him over.

By one stroke of pure luck that he almost couldn't believe to be true, he found the one object that could not only get him far away from this planet in record time, but if he was even luckier, would be the answer to his draining energy, which by this point, was reaching near critical levels. His answer was found in the form of a ship; a fine spacecraft that just from the looks of it, was not only prepared for takeoff, but for some unknown, yet joyous reason, was left open.

He couldn't help but grin in satisfaction. _Anyone who leaves their ship so vulnerable in a place like this is practically asking for it to be stolen._

Even with his pending getaway all but certain, he kept sprinting towards the ship, as if a small, paranoid piece of his psyche insisted that he still wasn't safe; there could be any number of stalkers between him and his freedom, just waiting for him to let his guard down. As he took his first step onto the metal stairs that would lead him into the heart of the ship, a bizarre mixture of disbelief, surprise, and ultimately, thankfulness washed over him.

However, even after locking the door behind him, the apprehension of constantly living on the run (even in the few moments of reprieve where no one could touch him) never left him. As he continued his path further into the ship's core, his unease grew. The fact that the ship had been left open for him was a blessing, but if he wasn't careful, that small gift the fates had given him could easily turn into a trap, one that he might not have the strength to overcome.

"You are not Roronoa."

The statement was matter-of-fact, and the expressionless tone in which it was spoken wasn't the least bit threatening, but it still put him on edge, and it nearly made him jump out of his own skin. Reflexively, he placed his hand on the hilt of his long sword, ready to lash out against anyone who dared to ruin his chance of leaving this planet.

But there was no one; the room appeared to be completely empty. The lack of any distinct presence only served to unnerve him even more; unfortunately, he couldn't attack anyone he couldn't see, let alone sense. Instinct told him that he should move, take cover perhaps, but something he didn't recognize, a feeling he absolutely refused to label as 'fear' kept him in place, unable to do anything except wait.

From the corner of his eye, he caught glimpse of a sight that made his blood run cold. Hesitantly, he turned his head to the side, only to come face-to-face with his own 'wanted' poster. He hadn't changed much in appearance since the picture had been taken, but the prideful eyes that stared back at him with a menacing, almost taunting gleam, coupled with the wicked smirk in the photograph, made it seem as if he was an entirely different person.

The little inkling of thought that suggested the possibility of entrapment screamed ' _I told you so!'_ upon the realization that he must have commandeered a bounty hunter's ship; although mentally berating himself seemed appropriate, he knew the self-scolding for his own carelessness would have to wait. First and foremost, he needed to take care of anyone on the ship who sought the bounty ICoPR placed on his head.

"What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing the ships main monitor light up as a visual representation of the auditory stimulus, he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

A wave of pure relief washed over him as he realized that the one who was speaking to him was not a tangible being that could harm him in anyway, but rather, the ship's artificial intelligence. After taking one glance at what was obviously the ship's control room, he could tell how advanced and up-to-date the ship's technology was. The AI must have had some way of differentiating his presence from Roronoa's, (probably the ship's captain), but he wondered if that would cause a problem for him.

There was only one way to find out.

"Set a course for planet B6B2386."

"Setting course for planet B6B2386. Estimated travel time: ninety-six hours."

Apparently not. Upon his command, the ship sealed itself and finished its takeoff preparations. Within minutes, the sound of the ship's thrusters resounded throughout the ship; the mechanics were so smooth that he could hardly feel the lift-off.

 _Four days,_ he thought to himself. He wasn't as far away from his destination as he originally thought; but whether or not that was a good thing, he wasn't so sure. Four days would be more than enough time for him to regain his strength, but yet, his patience had worn thin over the years, and he wanted nothing more for this hellish nightmare to be over.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He'd gladly relive each and every single horrific experience he'd unwillingly acquired during his travels over and over again, if only he could just have his precious little sister back in his life again.

_Lami…_

He used to know the exact number of days, down to the precise minute, and even the second, of how long he'd been apart from her. But as time went on, the years started to meld together into an incomprehensible mess of days he couldn't bother to account for. The journey had been exhausting in every way imaginable, but at least now, he could finally see the light at the end of tunnel.

It wouldn't be long now; for the sake of his wellbeing, he had to believe that.

Once the ship was safely out of orbit, he left the control room with every intention of finding Roronoa. The man was either overly trusting, or just a senseless moron for leaving his ship open to opportunists like him, but he wasn't about to lose the chance to get the jump on Roronoa. After all, he had to pay the naive captain back for such 'kindness'.

Or he would have, if his body hadn't decided to turn against him in the cruelest of ways.

It used to be a gradual occurrence, something he could sense was coming before it happened, giving him plenty of time to find a solution. Back then, the length of time he was able to sustain his current form was significantly less. Even with the abilities he had now, that allowed the duration he could keep this form to be tripled, there were times he wondered if the trade-off of a faster reverse transformation was actually worth it. He was all but powerless to stop it from crashing down on him within a matter of minutes, making it nearly impossible for him to find any sort of remedy if it wasn't in the immediate vicinity.

At first, he lost total functionality of his lungs; it felt as if each and every individual air sac was shriveling up on him, making air exchange all but impossible. As he began to suffocate on the ship's artificial oxygen, his agony was compounded upon when the flesh on his neck began to tear apart on its own accord, forming gill slits he couldn't use, not without water.

_Water…_

Roronoa would have to wait, especially now that his very survival was at stake. With the last bit of strength he possessed, he moved down the hall, in search of water, the only substance in the entire universe that could save him now. The formation of scales on his thighs and calves felt like razor sharp pieces of bone were protruding from his skin, destroying him from the inside out. It wouldn't be long now, before he would lose his legs completely, and if that were to happen, his fate would be sealed.

For the first time since his journey began, he truly feared he might not make it.

* * *

A long, drawn out yawn escaped Zoro's lips as he lazily stretched his arms above his head, willing his body to overcome his sleep-induced stiffness. There really wasn't anything quite as refreshing as a nice, relaxing nap-except for perhaps taking a hot shower right afterwards.

Being alone for so long had caused him to become rather shameless in the way he behaved; he no longer gave a second thought about indecency as he stripped down before donning a white towel around his waist (his only act of modesty) before trudging into the hallway and making his way towards the bathroom. His muscles that were still rigid from their extended lack of movement slowly began to loosen up as he walked. In his half-awake state, he idly mused that of all the updates he had given his ship over years, just to keep it functioning properly, he was overly pleased to have had a little extra spending money at one point or another, just so he could invest in a fully functional water system. It certainly wasn't cheap, but not a day went by when Zoro didn't think it was not worth every single nebuloc he spent on it.

Whether it was because he was still in the ridiculously slow process of waking up, or because he had been his ship's sole occupant for far too long, he couldn't definitively say. Regardless of the reason, he had barely opened the sliding door to the bathroom when he was ruthlessly thrown to the floor before he could even think to fight back.

The next thing he knew, he had been straddled by his attacker with a forearm jammed harshly against his sternum and what felt like a sharp end of a blade pressed to his neck.

"I'm feeling generous, so you have five seconds to give me one reason why I shouldn't slit your throat here and now." His voice was laced with venom as he spoke. "Make it good."

It took a second or two for Zoro's vision to clear, but when he did, he saw the face of the very man who had saved his life nearly ten years ago.

"It's you…" he said, too shocked to manage anything else. In all of his wildest dreams, he never thought he would see him again. Even though he had taken his 'wanted' poster from the bar, he never had any intention of going after him. Several points about the crimes he had been charged with just didn't add up in Zoro's mind, but even if they had, he wasn't going to go after the man he owed his own life too. If anything, he kept the poster simply because it would serve as a constant reminder of sorts, and as long as the poster remained valid, Zoro would know that his savoir, Trafalgar Law, was still out there, safe from ICoPR's clutches.

"Three seconds." Law growled with even more hostility in his voice.

"Trafalgar Law."

The ominous glint in his eyes told Zoro that was the wrong thing to say. Just as Law was about to slide the knife across his skin and slit his throat, Zoro's spoke up once again.

"You saved my life."

The blade had just barely scraped along the first layer of epithelial cells before the pressure against him disappeared completely. He breathed a sigh of pure relief as Law leaned back, taking the dagger with him. Apprehensive, yet inquisitive eyes watched him intently; it soon became abundantly clear to Zoro that Law had no intention of moving, at least not until he no longer deemed Zoro a threat.

_Better start talking then, huh?_

"About ten years ago, I was visiting the planet Hydros," Zoro didn't bother to include the reason, lest the merman get the idea that Zoro was after him, even back then, "and I fell into a lagoon whose water was too thick for me swim through." Zoro paused, trying to recollect his thoughts. "I nearly drowned that day, but you saved me."

Despite his greatest efforts not to, Zoro's gaze shifted downwards. He was met with the sight of perfectly normal 'human' extremities; the sight of which sent a wave of mixed emotions over his being that he couldn't quite place. The feelings, although entirely foreign and totally unrecognizable in every sense, caused Zoro to shiver involuntarily.

"I uh," Zoro gulped as he averted his gaze away from Law. "I guess my mind really was playing tricks on me back then." He could feel his cheeks beginning to burn, in spite of the fact that Law still was still in a prime position to kill him.

"I could've sworn you were a merman," he managed to say.

For whatever reason, that caused Law to remove himself from Zoro's towel-clad hips and back away. His rigid movements gave the implication that he was still extremely wary of Zoro, but at least he wasn't a slash away from killing him anymore.

"I suppose the green hair rings a bell or two," Law said nonchalantly as he stood up, not looking the least bit concerned about his unabashed display. With a serene form of elegance that Zoro had never seen before in his life, Law retreated to the bathtub that had already been filled with hot water and gracefully lowered himself into the basin wordlessly, as if he hadn't been about to kill someone only seconds earlier.

Law acted is if he couldn't have cared less about Zoro's existence, but his piercing gaze told Zoro the exact opposite. Although it was much too soon to tell, Zoro wanted to assume Law had taken the mutual recognition to mean that Zoro wasn't after his bounty; he felt good about not having to spell it out for Law. As the deafening silence continued, it became obvious that Zoro was expected to make the next move.

"What are you doing here?"

There must have been any number better, more pertinent questions Zoro could have started out with, but he was unable to keep himself from asking the most obvious.

Law's lips curved upwards into wide, wholly amused grin.

"You've got a nice ship here." Law spoke casually, as if he were answering a question about what he had had for breakfast. "Figured I'd take it for a spin. I wanted to ask your permission first, but the door was left open, so I figured you wouldn't mind," he replied with a thick layer of sarcasm added to his voice.

Zoro tried his damnedest to suppress the spark of annoyance Law's cheeky reply had given him, but he could practically feel the downwards pull of his lips into a frown.

"And you've made yourself at home in my tub because…"

"Because you were right."

The answer was automatic, however it left Zoro completely baffled. After all, Law could have been talking about any number of things. He found himself asking before he could think to stop himself.

"Right abo-"

He didn't have the time to finish his thought before Law lifted his legs from the water, making Zoro utterly speechless. He should have gotten another view of the long, svelte legs, but instead, he was met with the same, exquisite, almost captivating sight of the black and gold-flecked mertail he had seen when he had almost drowned in Hydros' water. The excruciatingly painful memory of what had felt like to choke on a substance slightly thicker than jelly never once crossed his mind as he instead, focused on how gorgeous Law's true form was. The natural beauty of it all was perhaps even more outstanding now, now that he could give Law's form his undivided attention.

Zoro soon realized that he was gawking. Shaking his head, he tried to compose himself before proceeding with questions he felt needed to be asked.

"But how-"

"Did I get here?" From his tone of voice, Zoro could tell that Law was suppressing the urge to laugh at him. "I walked. Don't tell me that you were too dazed to notice that I had legs when I attacked you."

"I guess I didn't know merpeople could transform like that," Zoro responded, hating how dense he must have sounded.

"They can't. Not for long anyway. I can stay like this longer than most, but that's only because I do it all the time," Law replied simply, as if he were used to this sort of conversation.

"Almost sounds like you've got a death wish comin'," Zoro replied before his mind was able to catch up with what he was saying. However tactless that was of him to say, the point he made was solid. A merperson running around land was as counterintuitive to survival as it was for human taking up residency in the sea.

The smirk on Law's lips wasn't one of mockery, but rather, of amused agreement.

"I have my reasons."

"Where are you headed?" It was another straightforward question, but Zoro felt it was necessary nonetheless.

"I already have a course set for Kaylos." The nonchalant tone he used made it sound as if the ship actually belonged to him, which only gave Zoro even more reason to be perturbed.

Zoro scowled at Law's laidback response, almost unable to believe what he was hearing. "Moira set a course for you?"

"My ship's AI," Zoro clarified, after receiving a questioning look from Law.

"She was very accommodating, actually," Law said, giving Zoro a grin that was much too cocky for Zoro's liking.

"But how-" The answer suddenly dawned on him before he could finish that thought. "Did you give her the ICoPR name?"

"I did."

"Sonuvabitch," Zoro mumbled under his breath. He hadn't meant for Law to hear that, but given the amused expression on his face, it was too late for that. He knew that he probably should have been angrier at Moira from taking orders from anyone that wasn't him, simply because they had used the proper ICoPR planetary naming system with her; if Law hadn't been the stowaway, this entire situation could have been a lot uglier. In spite of Moira's petty reasoning for throwing him under the bus as it were, he was actually kind of happy to see Law again.

Naturally, he kept that part to himself.

"Well it's not like I don't owe you one anyway." Zoro shrugged his shoulders, making the decision official as if his choice were the only option to take.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Law asked. The easygoing composure he had taken only seconds ago seemed to have been quickly replaced with an air of suspicion.

"It means I'm helping you," Zoro declared in a nonchalant manner.

From the skeptical look he was given, he could tell that Law didn't believe a word of it.

"I'm not asking for your help."

"I'm not exactly offering." The grin on Zoro's face mirrored the wily smirk Law had given him earlier.

"What could you possibly gain from aiding the universe's most wanted man?" The incredulous scowl on Law's face only became more doubtful. "Even if I gave you the benefit of the doubt and assumed that you wouldn't betray me, if ICoPR found out you helped me in anyway, they'd come after you too."

"Innocent until proven guilty. That's the saying, right?" Zoro didn't bother to respond to the second half of Law's statement; being labeled a criminal was never one of his goals, but becoming a fugitive by incidental means wouldn't hinder his ambitions as far as he was concerned.

"What are you going on about?"

"You don't strike me as the type of guy who gets his kicks from killing." Zoro said honestly. For whatever reason, his frank way of speaking only caused Law to laugh in a bitter, hollow way that unsettled Zoro a bit.

"That's a lofty assumption. Are you sure you'd like to blindly trust someone like me based on a gut feeling?" Law asked, sounding like he was the devil asking Zoro to make a bet on his very own soul.

"I'm feeling lucky," Zoro grinned. Law could be as cryptic as he wanted, it wouldn't shake his resolve.

A deep, rather vexed sigh escaped Law's lips before he rolled his eyes in Zoro's direction.

"Why is it that the dullest of idiots always seem to have the best of luck?" The question was rhetorical in nature, but that didn't stop Zoro from answering.

"Like I said, I owe you this much at least. Even if the Intel ICoPR has on you is valid, it doesn't erase my debt to you as far as I'm concerned," Zoro said before turning back towards the door. Beings his bathroom had been taken over by his newest (and only) guest, his shower would have to wait.

"Towels are in the cabinet, and save me some hot water, will you? The water heater takes forever to refill itself."

"Wait."

Upon hearing that one little word, he stopped in his tracks. Zoro couldn't stop a gratified grin from spreading across his lips as he turned around to face Law again; he didn't say a word as he waited for whatever Law had to say to him.

"You can't honestly expect me to even begin to trust you without knowing your name first. Your ship called you 'Roronoa' but that's all I know." Law crossed his arms across his chest, like he felt the need to defend himself after admitting that he wanted Zoro's name. His gaze locked with Zoro's out of sheer pride, but Zoro could tell that he'd rather be looking anywhere else.

"Who said anything about trust? I've made my intentions clear for now, but you've already formulated your opinion of me. A name's not going to change that."

He knew his answer was the exact opposite of what Law was looking for, but that didn't cheapen the value of his words. He had a feeling Law knew that as well.

"Regardless, you should do yourself a favor and keep an even playing field with me," Law countered. "After all, a wild beast is most vicious when it feels cornered."

Zoro smiled, in spite of the obvious threat. Once again, he turned his back on Law and made his way towards the exit. Just before he left, he decided to humor Law, if only to prevent another circumstance where the sharp end of a blade came dangerously close to his throat.

"Roronoa Zoro."

* * *

_**4 Days Later.** _

"What's on Kaylos?"

He could hear that Zoro had said something, although his mind was elsewhere, making him unable to process Zoro's words. He thought that perhaps it was an observational comment that did not require a response, but from the questioning look Zoro directed his way, he could tell that wasn't the case.

"Hmm?"

"Kaylos," Zoro repeated. "Surely you've got a reason for going there."

"I do."

Law had every intention of leaving his answer like that; he was under no obligation to give Zoro his life story. He never asked for Zoro's cooperation in this, although it was extremely convenient that he didn't have to expend his strength in taking him on. After seeing the wholly unsatisfied look on Zoro's face, Law sighed. He'd sooner cut out his own tongue before divulging everything to Zoro, but surely the basics wouldn't hurt.

"I want to be a human," he said simply.

Zoro didn't reply at first; he wore a pensive look, as if he were trying to piece together situation on his own, before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. His apparent thoughtfulness was something Law could appreciate and even admire. For him, holding a conversation with anyone who wasn't out for his head was rare in and of itself, but speaking to someone who wouldn't bore him to death was almost unheard of.

"How does that work?" Zoro asked.

"A 'magic' potion, I suppose would be the easiest way to describe it," Law paused for a few seconds before continuing. "If I take it while I'm in my human form, I'll never turn back into a merman."

"And you can find it on Kaylos?"

"I can find the last ingredient for it on Kaylos," Law clarified. "I have everything else."

"How long has it taken?"

"I honestly don't know anymore." Law sighed heavily. The mere thought of the time he'd lost over the years made him weary.

"I'm so tired, Roronoa-ya." The exhaustion in his voice was more than evident.

He had no idea what had prompted him to confess something so honest, regardless of how vague his statement was. Zoro didn't reply to that, but the expression on his face told Law that he didn't need elaboration, which Law was grateful for.

"What's next?" Zoro asked after a few moments of silence.

"Pardon?" He had heard Zoro this time, but even so, the question didn't settle with him.

"After Kaylos," Zoro began again, trying to rephrase his question. "After you become human, what will you do next?"

Law gave Zoro a soft, almost melancholic smile.

"Maybe another time." Even if he could let someone in, he wasn't quite ready for that. Lami wasn't only his biggest secret, but also his greatest weakness. If he ever let that information fall into the wrong hands, or worse, if someone ever used that information to hurt her, he didn't think he'd be able to keep living with himself.

"What about you?" Law suddenly asked, before Zoro could ask anything more, or worse, before another bout of awkward silence could fall between them. He couldn't explain what he felt, much less give reason for what he was doing, but he did know that he wanted to keep talking with Zoro.

"Hmm?"

"Bounty hunting isn't your life's dream." Law stated, rather than repeating the question. A knowing smirk spread across his face. "I can tell."

"It's not," Zoro shrugged nonchalantly as he repositioned himself in his chair. "But it pays the bills and keeps Moira's systems up to date, stellar personality included," he added sarcastically.

Law didn't respond; he had prompted Zoro to deny his profession, but now that he did, Law didn't know what to believe. He must have given a Zoro a doubtful look, because the next thing he knew, the expression on Zoro's face had morphed into a scowl, one that gave the impression that he might've just tasted something extremely bitter. The relaxed posture he had had for the duration of their conversation was gone in a flash, only to be replaced with a stance that implied he was ready for a fight.

"Look, it's not like that." His tone was defensive, as if Law's open display of mistrust had truly offended him. "You came aboard my ship, remember? I didn't do a damn thing to get you here."

"You still have my poster," Law countered, as he pointed to the hologram on the ship's wall.

"A bartender back on Calatros gave it to me," Zoro sighed in an exasperated manner before getting up and making his way to the wall. Law watched him intently as he pulled the hologram down from the wall; his eyes seemed to be locked on the old photograph of Law.

"He thought it might be worth my while," Zoro added after a moment.

"Is it?" The question left Law's mouth before he could stop himself from asking.

"No." Zoro simply smiled, pressing a small section at the bottom left corner of the hologram. Not a second later, the digitized poster began to disintegrate into thousands of blue bytes of now useless information. They fell to the floor, sounding as if they were broken shards of glass, before fading into nothingness.

Truth be known, Zoro didn't need that poster to complete his job, and Law knew that. In spite of that knowledge, Zoro's small action spoke volumes to him. The distrust in his heart was ever present, weighing him down and refusing him to set him free, but never the less, he truly wanted to believe Zoro.

"Then what would you be doing if you didn't have to hunt?" Law asked, allowing himself to indulge in the idea of Zoro having greater aspirations.

"My life wouldn't change all that much, to be honest," Zoro admitted as he sat back down with Law. "I'd still be alone, venturing to new places, but I'd be doing a helluva better job at making a name for myself. One without the 'Bounty Hunter' epithet, if you will."

Law lifted a questioning eyebrow in Zoro's direction. "Do you realize how vague you sound?"

"Yeah, sorry," Zoro chuckled to himself. He paused for a few moments, but the somber look on his face told Law that he was trying to choose his words carefully. Law remained patient; he of all people could understand the importance of saying the right thing.

Zoro shook his head, as if he had given up on thinking. His body language seemed to say: _What the hell?_

"How do you tell the man you might have had a slight hero's crush on for nearly ten years that your ultimate goal in life is to be the world's greatest swordsman?"

For a few moments, Law was unable to say or do anything, aside from gawking at Zoro like he had suddenly and inexplicably sprouted an extra head. Back then, he had saved Zoro on little more than a whim. He could have easily let him die, as he had let happen with so many other corrupt travelers who had come to Hydros with the nasty intention of taking his kin away, but somehow, he had known that Zoro was different from the others. The proof that he had been right all along couldn't have been more obvious than it was at that moment.

"The way you just did works well," Law replied. He didn't himself to say anything more.

"You think?" Zoro's entire being seemed to light up upon hearing Law's words; Law couldn't help but think that disposition suited him well.

"Why wouldn't I?" Law shrugged, trying to brush it off as if his words had held no value.

Zoro didn't seem to be phased in the least. "I don't really care what people think of me, but after hearing so many people mock the one goal that's always meant something to me, I tend not to volunteer that much about me anymore."

"I think it's worthwhile." His words were automatic, something he wholeheartedly felt, but hadn't meant to actually say.

The look on Zoro's face was priceless; a mixture of dubiousness, awe, and some other emotion that Law couldn't quite decipher flickered through his gray eyes. It was almost like Law had said the most supportive words Zoro had ever heard in his life. Truth be known, Law hadn't meant to say anything quite so meaningful, but he supposed it was much too late to deny his own words.

"Why not? What's the point in life if you never even try to make your dreams a reality?" Law asked. The addition only seemed to intensify the bright smile on Zoro's face.

"Will becoming human help you achieve your goals too?" Zoro asked suddenly.

"Something like that," Law replied, returning Zoro's soft smile.

At long last, every suspicious and largely unreasonable theory Law had concluded about Zoro was thrown out the window and completely overwhelmed by his innermost desire to believe in someone for once in his life. More specifically, he wanted to put his complete faith in Zoro's hands, despite the long list of potential consequences that could result from such whimsical actions. The implication behind his actions wasn't given a hint of consideration as he reached over and slid his hand into Zoro's. The warmth that radiated from Zoro's body was unlike anything Law had ever felt before; it seemed to pull him in, urging him to enjoy such an unfamiliar experience. A wave of indescribable emotions washed over him from that one touch, but for once in his life, Law wasn't afraid of the feelings he didn't recognize. He only wanted to know more.

But before Law could get any closer to Zoro, Moira's voice resounded throughout the control room, causing them both to scoot away from each other in pure surprise.

"We are now entering the atmosphere of planet B6710389."

Zoro turned away from Law after that, but he didn't miss the pink dustings of a blush that spread across Zoro's face. He just hoped Zoro didn't see the same embarrassed, yet simultaneously regretful look that covered his own features. He hated to admit it, but Moira's announcement couldn't have come at a better time. He knew himself well enough to know what would have happened if they had remained uninterrupted, and despite his best intentions, it was better if none of it happened. He had simply lost himself in the moment, and he had let Zoro do the same.

Not a word transpired between them as Law prepared himself for the landing; if it hadn't been for Moira listing off an encyclopedia's worth of information about the planet Kaylos, a crippling silence would have fallen between them. The lull would have forced Law to think further into this, it would've made him consider the countless questioning thoughts that he fought to keep locked away in the back of his mind.

"What are you doing?" Law finally broke the silence when he saw Zoro packing a bag for himself.

"Packing?" Zoro answered tentatively, as if Law's sudden question had made him reconsider his own actions.

"You're not planning to accompany me, are you?" Law hoped he was simply being self-absorbed in asking; it didn't matter if he and Zoro had gotten closer after a couple of brief, yet meaningful conversations. This was still his business, and Zoro's involvement was not welcomed.

"Why wouldn't I?" Zoro answered with his own question, as if he thought coming along was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because this doesn't concern you." Law replied darkly as he looked away from Zoro. He could see Zoro's face fall from the corner of his eye, but ultimately, he refused to acknowledge it. He'd much rather crush whatever feelings Zoro had for him, than risk the chance of seeing Zoro not make it through this.

His voice was cold and emotionless; he could hardly stand how cruel his words were, and he could hardly imagine how this must have felt to Zoro.

"Stay here. I can't afford to have you getting in my way."

"I won't-"

Law didn't give Zoro the chance to finish his sentence before sending him the most menacing, unfeeling glare he could muster. Zoro didn't try to speak again, and Law didn't care to explain. When the ship finally landed, he stepped off the ship with his original purpose renewed. He would rescue Lami, even if he got himself killed in doing so.

He couldn't bring himself to actually say it, but he hoped that Zoro would take the hint and simply leave him here. He'd never get to see Zoro again, but at least he wouldn't take Zoro down the dark, lonesome path that was meant for him and him alone.


	3. Chapter 3

From the moment Law left, Zoro had been in some sort of a trance. He couldn't figure out what had just transpired between them, nor what had sparked such a sudden change in Law's behavior for the life of him. It wasn't rejection; he hadn't done anything worthy of refusal. And yet, the distant, unfeeling way in which Law had looked at him before leaving made him wonder if the short, but significant time they had spent together actually meant anything at all.

This cold sensation, whatever it was, he couldn't describe it, yet he knew it was only temporary. He'd move on, more so because he had to, rather than any real desire to do so, but he'd recover from this nonetheless. Zoro was used to it by now, the loneliness, the empty, desolate sense of isolation, he had chosen this solitary lifestyle for himself, and even now, he didn't regret it. Despite his decisions, he couldn't help but think Law had somehow provided him with something special he wasn't even aware he needed until now. He supposed, in some way, that small wish for Law's return is what kept him stationed on Kaylos. Leaving would only make the entire ordeal real.

"Roronoa. My sensors seem to be picking up Intel from the Intergalactic Council of Planetary Relations' Headquarters on Kaylos."

After several hours of total silence, the sound of Moira's voice nearly made Zoro fall out of the chair he was in. Nevertheless, he snapped back to reality, allowing himself to process what Moira had just said.

"Another bounty?" Zoro asked, assuming it was the usual alert he got whenever Moira's sensors picked up a new job.

"Ignore it." Hunting was the absolute last thing he felt like doing.

"It concerns Trafalgar Law."

The harsh discouragement he had been faced with melted away at the mere mention of Law's name, and the soul-crushing words he had said just before leaving were forgotten.

"Patch it through, Moira."

Moira wordlessly followed Zoro's instruction, and within a matter of seconds, Zoro was listening in on a conversation from the ICoPR HQ. While it wasn't exactly legal, one of the advantages to Moira's updated software was her ability to tune in on the frequencies given off through verbal conversation, and direct them to Zoro, as if they combined to form some sort of radio station, for which Zoro and Moira were the sole listeners.

The frequency was much more static-heavy than usual, but information he was able to extract from it was abundantly useful.

" _...murdered at least three guards… several others wounded..."_

" _...broke into the merchandise room...attempted to steal confidential records..."_

" _...apprehended by force…"_

" _...contained in the northwest dungeon, and is awaiting trial…"_

" _...immediate execution at dawn…"_

There was more to the conversation before, after, and in between those small clips of information, but Zoro's ears only picked up on what he needed to know. Some might call it selective hearing; he simply thought he had a knack for picking out pertinent information. Either way, he got what he needed.

"Are you certain you won't take anything else?" Moira asked as she usually did whenever Zoro prepared to go out. It was ridiculous, impossible even, but he could almost swear that he heard the faintest bit of concern in her voice.

"Nah, I'll be fine with the usual," Zoro smiled to himself as he assured her. "Be prepared for takeoff though. We'll need to leave the second Law and I get back."

"Yes, Roronoa."

* * *

Getting inside had been the easy part; it had never been necessary for Zoro to rebel against the ICoPR government before, but he couldn't help but think the soldiers used to guard their headquarters were much too weak to uphold a building that ideally should have the highest security measures in all of Kaylos.

The nature of the situation itself wasn't all that unusual for him. Zoro would never openly admit it, but not knowing how to reach his final destination with precise detail was not an uncommon occurrence. But despite his undiagnosed directional challenges, he always managed to find his way in due time; he assumed this time would be no different. To his credit, he had taken the intel Moira was able to collect for him to heart; Zoro found himself adamantly looking for staircases, just so he could go downstairs whenever possible in hopes of finding the dungeons, where Law would obviously be.

Zoro soon found himself in a place that had never once felt the sun's warmth upon the cold slabs of brick that covered the walls, nor the broken, mold-encrusted tiles of the floor. The only sources of light came from dimly lit torches that hung from walls, approximately five meters away from each other. It wasn't much, but there was just enough light that allowed Zoro to see well into the distance. The air was stale and the unmistakable scent of decay invaded Zoro's nostrils, but he trekked onwards, refusing to let the horrid conditions get to him. His gaze constantly shifted from side to side, trying to find any hint of Law hidden within the shadows of the numerous, filth-ridden cells that lined the walls.

With a supreme level of stealth that rivaled that of even the greatest of ninjas, Zoro skirted along the dungeon's dingy walls, ever vigilant as to keep himself concealed within the areas the torch flames did not touch. He'd already taken out one horde of guards, and he'd do it again without a second thought, but even so, it was in his (and Law's) best interests if he didn't attract too much attention to the situation.

"Umm excuse me?"

Her voice was soft, so soft that Zoro almost didn't hear her. He came to a sudden halt, looking through the darkness, trying to find the source of the feminine voice that had called him out and saw straight through his cover.

"Yeah?" After seeing no one, Zoro called out to the voice, answering with a hushed tone of his own.

A young woman, probably not much older than himself from the looks of it, stepped forth from the shadows. She appeared to be human, but with the black cloak that was draped loosely around her body and the hood that covered the top half of her face, it was hard for Zoro say. She crossed the hallway, joining Zoro on his side of the wall.

"I don't mean to bother you," she said timidly, "but are you looking for the prisoner they're keeping down here?"

From the way she spoke, she sounded as if she knew that only one prisoner occupied this dank, miserable excuse for a prison, but Zoro needed to be sure. Law was his first (and only) priority, and he was going to make sure there was no mistake about it.

"I'm looking for Trafalgar Law," Zoro clarified.

"What are your intentions with Law?" The quiet meekness in her voice was still present, but Zoro could sense the slightest bit of unease as in her voice, as if his answer would determine the outcome of the conversation.

"I'm here to save him," Zoro said simply. He wasn't sure what the woman was looking for in an answer, but he wasn't about to mislead her or let her come to any other conclusion than the truth.

She didn't say anything for a while; the silence only served to unnerve him. The woman either thought he was lying, or simply didn't approve of his goal. Neither option was great, but he wasn't going to back down just because he had been caught. He soon found himself defending his stance, deciding that he'd only use force if the woman still refused to listen to his reasoning.

"Look, I know what he's wanted for serial murder, among other crimes, but I don't believe anything ICoPR says about him."

Despite his words, Zoro found himself doubting the woman before him, thinking that this congenial, albeit awkward and confusing conversation would go south all too quickly.

"Why not?" While not exactly supportive, she didn't seem to reject his position out right, and considering the circumstances, that was good enough.

"Hard to say," Zoro admitted. "It's just a feeling, I guess. It's hard to believe that he killed his own kind."

"You know what he is?" Zoro could have sworn that he heard a small note of surprise in her voice, but he didn't dwell on that.

"I do," Zoro responded automatically. "I know that's only a small portion of the truth, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm going to get him out of here, and I don't care who I have to go through in order to save him." While his words certainly weren't meant to be pleasant, they sounded much more threatening than he had intended; it didn't help matters when his hand took ahold of the first katana on his hip, instinctively preparing for a fight.

That reaction however, seemed to be the precise response the young woman had been looking for. Her cautious manner dissolved in an instant as a warm smile spread across her face.

"If you keep going that way, you'll surely get caught. Allow me to lead you to his cell."

She didn't let Zoro respond before stepping out of the shadows and walking in the direction Zoro had just come from. Zoro was amazed how she moved so gracefully in the middle of the hallway, as if being seen was the least of her concerns. Although he hadn't a clue where they were going (aside from hopefully finding Law) he felt utterly compelled to follow. He knew all too well that this could have been a trap, she could have easily been luring him away from Law and straight into the arms of ICoPR goons, but something told him that he needn't waste time with paranoia, that her intentions were every bit as honest as his were.

Zoro could hardly keep track of the numerous twists and turns she led him through; the putrid smell of rot only seemed to increase the further they went. While Zoro was slightly dazed from the apparent maze he was taken through, his guide didn't seem to be phased in the slightest. With the way she easily weaved about the corridors, Zoro began to suspect that she might have been down in this godforsaken place for quite a while. Before he could deduce any solid reasons for why she would want to scope out the ICoPR dungeon on Kaylos, she brought them both to a sudden halt.

"Go all the way down the hall and take a left. You'll find him in the very last cell." Her directions were incredibly easy; Zoro doubted he'd have any troubles.

It was then he realized that she had no intentions of coming with him.

"Won't you come with?" he asked numbly, completely baffled by the thought that she wouldn't be accompanying him. "I mean, aren't you looking for Law too?"

The young woman shook her head. "I can't see him. Not just yet. Law's not the only one who has it out for the merpeople traffickers"

"Who are you?" Her words made little sense to him, but he thought it was much more important to know who she actually was first.

She didn't answer him, but instead, she reached into her cloak, pulling out two items. One was carefully wrapped, the other, was a small trinket Zoro hadn't seen since he left Hydros. Even with such a dull light source, Zoro could see radiant blue color of the Lystos alloy.

"Give these to him, please?" She placed them both into the palms of Zoro's hands without waiting for his response. "He'll know where they came from, and what to do with them."

"Where did you get this?" Zoro asked as he showed her the charm.

"He gave it to me as a gift when we were younger," she answered simply.

"He'll want to see you too," Zoro said, hoping that she would listen to him. With her last answer, the pieces of the puzzle Zoro had been haphazardly trying to put together concerning Law's motives and intentions finally started to come together for him. Although the picture was far from clear, it gave him more than enough insight for the time being. He knew this young woman wouldn't tell him how, but somehow, this girl was important to Law. He needed to see her too.

In turn, she gave Zoro the most morose smile he had ever seen.

"I know."

He didn't quite know how to respond to such an honest response. It was blatantly obvious that she wanted nothing more than to see Law just as much as he knew Law would want to see her, but something was keeping them apart.

"Please," her voice was on the verge of begging, "please keep him safe. He's innocent, and you know it." She paused for a moment, as if she needed some time. "This world is so cold and desolate; I don't want him to be alone anymore."

"That's not really up to me." Try has he might, he couldn't make Law stay with him, nor would he want to.

"Trust me, the fact that you came for him means everything." She reached out to him; Zoro could only watch as he gently caressed his face in a way that a loving mother might sooth a young child.

"I'm counting on you, Roronoa Zoro."

Just as Zoro was about to ask how she could have possibly known his name, she suddenly backed away from him, disappearing in the shadows.

"Oi!" he called out to her has he felt along the cold walls, trying to feel for her presence. But try as he might, there was no trace of her. She he had left him with the two articles he needed to give to Law, and a rescue mission that had yet to be accomplished.


	4. Chapter 4

For once, Zoro managed to follow the young womans's instructions to the letter. The end of the hall was almost completely devoid of light, which only made it all the more difficult for him to see if there was any semblance of life hidden within the darkness of the cell he came across.

"Law?"

"Zoro?" Zoro was almost surprised to hear the unique way in which Law spoke his name. "What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes at what he considered to be a wholly unnecessary question. "What does it look like, I'm doing?"

"Save yourself the trouble," Law replied automatically. "You know what happens if they catch you."

"Yeah, it'll be my head on the chopping block along with yours."

"Decapitation hasn't been a valid form of execution on Kaylos since the invention of the synapse disintegrator." Zoro could only gawk at Law with pure disbelief as Law continued his educational speech, which was probably something he picked up from Moira. "The inhabitants of this planet have always been especially fond of torturous killing methods, even more so with the criminals who truly deserve it. It's an interesting form of justice, I suppose."

Zoro had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Maybe, but you're not one of those people."

"You know how high my bounty is, Zoro. Don't you think there's a reason for it?"

Why Law insisted on maintaining his criminal status when the reality of it all couldn't be farther from the truth, Zoro didn't understand. If anything, it was beginning to annoy him.

"Well yeah," Zoro agreed, "but it's not because you're a murderous felon."

Law narrowed his eyes at him, giving Zoro an unamused look. "I killed several guards during my break-in," he said, as if he thought admitting to such a thing could sway Zoro's opinion.

"That's different. You had a reason for killing them," Zoro retorted, a little too pleased with himself over his quick comeback.

"As opposed to the hundreds of others I've killed?" Law replied just as quickly, but his voice was monotonous.

"Bullshit." The sudden expletive wasn't intentional on his part, it was valid. He continued on, if only to further his point. "You never hurt a soul that didn't have it comin'. I'd bet my life it."

"What a foolish thing to say." The laugh that accompanied Law's statement was bitter and hollow, devoid of humor in any sense of the word.

"What kind of fool sees the truth while its value is blindly denied by others?" Zoro asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

It was clear from Law's tone of voice that he wanted nothing more than for Zoro to give up with his questioning. Zoro however, wasn't close to being finished.

"What are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter what you or anyone else thinks concerning my innocence. No world is worth living in where she's not there." Law replied simply, as if the thought his answer should have made absolute sense to anyone who was listening.

"She?" Zoro knew exactly whom Law was referring to, but he wanted to hear the answer straight from Law.

"There's no point in keeping the secret any longer," he said before sighing dejectedly. "My sister, Lami, was kidnapped and taken away from Hydros by despicable individuals who sought to make a hefty profit from selling her off to the highest bidder." Law paused for a moment, and Zoro quietly waited. Saying all of this out loud was obviously taking its toll on Law, and Zoro was more than willing to give him the chance to compose himself.

After taking a shaky breath, Law continued. "And it's not just her. Merpeople trafficking has become quite the lucrative business over the past several years."

The realization that Law and his sister's respective goals were strikingly similar nearly blindsided him. He nearly missed the rest of Law's explanation.

"It's also one of ICoPR's biggest secrets. Can you imagine how the Hydros government would react if it found out that the intergalactic government was kidnapping and selling their people?"

The question most likely rhetorical, something he didn't have to respond to, but he found himself providing an answer nonetheless.

"Where would be war."

Law nodded in agreement. "Believe it or not, Hydros is not a force to be reckoned with."

"I'd believe it." Zoro remembered the brief amount of conclusive data Moira had been able to provide him with ten years ago. A lot could have changed over the course of a decade, but he highly doubted vast amounts of information on the planet Hydros was readily available to just anyone, if it existed at all. "But, I thought that no one really knew anything about Hydros."

"There's two reasons for that," Law answered. As much as he hated seeing Law in such a desolate state, he couldn't deny the fact that Law was much more generous with his responses now. "I'm sure you can imagine that my kind's not a very trusting lot. We prefer the isolation when it comes down to it."

"'S easier than inviting betrayal." Zoro replied, immediately understanding the underlying meaning behind Law's words.

"That's actually part of the reason my bounty's so high. Hydros insisted on a reward that was fitting of my apparent betrayal," Law replied, confirming Zoro's assessment.

"Because why else would ICoPR offer so much for a scapegoat?" Zoro added with a sardonic bite to his voice.

Another heavy sigh escaped Law's lips. "I'll never understand how you're coming up with these ridiculous ideas."

"Am I right?" Zoro pressed again.

To his chagrin, Law still refused to provide him with a direct answer. "I'll remind you that this entire conversation is pointless," he repeated, the agitation in his voice seemed to increase with each word he spoke. "While I didn't mislead you entirely, I did lie to you by omission. I really was trying to become human, if only because this lifestyle in combination with my requirement for water submersion every three days or so is lethal, and I couldn't let myself die without knowing Lami was safe. But I got caught in the act, now I'm going to pay for it, and I don't have a choice about my death."

Zoro rescinded his previous thought; Law seemed to remain indirect about one specific matter. At this point, apparently everything else was fair game.

"Lami would hate it if she heard you speak like that," Zoro said, again without thinking.

The deadly glare Law shot at Zoro would have made lesser men cringe in fear.

"Don't speak to me like you know her," he growled menacingly.

Zoro simply shrugged it off before continuing. "I know enough to know that any sister that's worth the love you have for her wouldn't stand for the way you're acting."

"Stop torturing me with her memory." While he was no longer growling at Zoro, his tone held every ounce of its previous anger. "It was foolish of me, but the only thing that has kept me going since they took her away from me was the belief that she was still out there somewhere, waiting for me to rescue her." As he spoke, his voice gradually became much more wistful and forlorn. "I finally tracked down her whereabouts, to here of all places. I scoured the record books, but…"

Again, Law paused for a moment. Although he had evidence to the contrary, a sickening sensation manifested itself in the pit of Zoro's stomach. Somehow, he knew exactly where Law was going with this; the feeling must have been absolute torture for him.

"They killed her, Zoro." Zoro could only imagine how hard it was for Law to admit what he thought was the absolute truth. "She didn't make to the auction."

Law didn't have to explain further. If Lami had been sold off somewhere, at least then Law would still have somewhere else to look, one glimmer of hope to cling to. However, he still had one card up his sleeve that would pull Law out of his self-inflicted misery once and for all, and he couldn't think of a better time to play it than right now.

"Say, how accurate do you think those records are?" Zoro asked casually, as if his point had nothing to do with the horrific details Law had just shared with him.

Not surprisingly, Law didn't respond; Zoro took that as his cue to elaborate.

"If someone were to escape, do you actually think there'd be any record of it?" Again, there was no response. "In the event of a break-out, wouldn't it be more believable if a corrupt government covered its ass with false documentation?"

Finally, Law looked up at Zoro; a confused, yet curious glint flickered in his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"Lami's not dead," Zoro answered, no longer beating around the push.

"Don't do this to me." Law looked completely and utterly crestfallen, yet there was a note of danger hidden within his words, one that Zoro would have been a fool to miss.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to prove his case on claim alone, he revealed the small charm he had originally given to Law so long ago.

"Recognize this?"

"Where did you get this?" From the look in Law's eyes, Zoro could tell that he didn't believe any of this was real until he touched the charm for himself.

"I had a bit of help finding you," Zoro admitted.

At long last, Law seemed to come to grips with the situation, albeit slowly.

"Lami? But why-"

"I don't know all the details," Zoro admitted. "But what I do know is that your sister is one helluva fighter, and she has a lot of lofty ambitions, just like her brother."

"I don't understand."

"Listen," Zoro tried to explain the situation the best way he could, but Law was quickly becoming more and more inquisitive. Nothing he said would be able to appease Law. "She wouldn't elaborate, but if my assumptions are correct, her adventures won't end until she's saved very Hydros citizen she can, while simultaneously bringing an end to merpeople trafficking. I say we join her."

"There's one more thing," Zoro added before Law could interject as he handed Law the second item Lami had given him. The neatly folded paper was tied together with a slender bow, making for an excellent makeshift package.

Law undid the parcel without much difficulty, and revealed a small pile of what appeared to be dried herbs of some sort, but Zoro wasn't certain.

"The last ingredient for my transformation potion." Law's breath was shaky, as if he were at a total loss for what to say or do. Zoro could only imagine the rush of emotion that must have been invading Law's senses at full force; after all, it wasn't every day that one's purpose for living was restored.

"I don't know how I can thank you," Law said after a while.

"Don't thank me, thank Lami when you finally get to see her again," Zoro cut in, before Law could say anymore. "I'd wager she's already half way across the galaxy, working towards her goal of putting an end to merpeople trafficking, now that her brother's in good hands."

Zoro smiled brightly, allowing his overconfident side to show for a second as he unsheathed one katana and lightly tapped it against the steel bars of the cell. With one touch, he could tell the metal was so worn and deteriorated from age and the lack of upkeep, that one sword would be more than enough to finish the job. He waved his hand, silently warning Law that backing away from the bars was most likely in his best interest.

The look of confusion on Law's face was priceless, but nevertheless, he listened to Zoro's wordless request and retreated further into the cell until his back hit the dirty brick walls. There was much more space than Zoro needed, but he wasn't about to complain about the 'safety'. Taking the proper stance, Zoro grasped his katana with both hands, wrapping his fingers around the hilt and letting them slide into the grooves between the fabric, securing a tight grip. With every ounce of strength he could muster, Zoro swung his katana, intending to break Law free with one slash.

Just as he predicted, one strike was all it took before the bars broke in two, and came crashing down to the floor from the sheer force of Zoro's attack. He hadn't intended to bring down half of the cell's stone ceiling with the bars, but then again, collateral damage (of the inorganic nature) with that amount of power was nearly always unavoidable, (in Zoro's experience at least). The rubble fell to the ground with a clash, causing dust and debris to fill the air. Through the wreckage, Zoro could see Law standing against the wall. The filth had yet to settle before he was already climbing over the stone and brick remains in order to make his way over to Law.

"Become an even bigger fugitive and help me take down ICoPR in order to save your people," he said with an adventurous, yet wholly sincere gleam in his eyes as he reached out to Law, offering him his hand.

Law made no attempt to take Zoro's proffered hand; he only stared at him with what Zoro could only describe as a mixture of bewilderment and incredulity.

"Where did you learn to cut through solid steel?" he asked.

Zoro smirked. "I've had my share of adventures too."

"You don't have to be alone anymore, Law," he said before taking one step closer, emphasizing the hand he had extended to Law.

A smile graced Law's lips as he shook his head, taking ahold of Zoro's hand. "If this is your new purpose in life, you're crazier than I originally thought."

Zoro only laughed before pulling on Law's arm and leading him out of the cell. In the distance, he could hear the hurried sound of heavy footsteps approaching them. With Law's condition, it was probably best if they could avoid any sort of confrontation with the guards, but even if they couldn't, Zoro knew they'd be able to pull through together.

"It's yours too."

* * *

_**Twenty-four hours later, en route for Planet K1K1152: Myxtros** _

"How do you feel?"

Law couldn't help but give Zoro a small, lopsided grin. He'd never seen so much concern before in his life, especially not directed towards him.

"Still fine, Zoro," he replied softly. "You should ask me at least another fifty times though. You might get a different answer then."

Judging from the way Zoro narrowed his eyes at him, his sarcastic tone did not go unnoticed.

"It's just hard to believe that after taking that concoction, which looked more than a little questionable by the way, you're not feeling any change whatsoever," Zoro mused aloud as he carefully ran a calloused hand over Law's bare leg, as if he still didn't believe that it was real.

"Tell me, with all of your vast knowledge of magic potions and merpeople anatomy, exactly what kind of odd sensations do you think I should be experiencing right now?" The mirth in his voice was clearly evident; the smirk on his face grew larger as the annoyed scowl on Zoro's face became more apparent.

"Shut up." Despite the frown that marred his features, his tone was light and the irritation that laced his voice was insincere.

"How do you know it even worked if you don't feel any different?" Zoro questioned.

Law shrugged. "Call it one of those gut feelings you seem to rely on so much." The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a playful grin.

"I guess," Zoro replied hesitantly; he didn't seem to be satisfied with that answer, but he didn't say anything more. His hand, which hadn't left Law's leg, lightly travelled up from his calf, and settled on his lower thigh, just below the white towel that Law had been wearing around his hips since he had taken a shower earlier. He knew he could (and probably should) have changed into some real clothes at any time, but like Zoro, he was kind of amazed with his legs as well.

They didn't look any different from before, nor did his legs feel out of the ordinary. There wasn't even so much as a lingering tingle that indicated any dissimilarity at all, but yet, Law knew there was a distinct change in his legs. He couldn't place it exactly, but if he had to guess, he'd say that before taking his elixir, he'd always known that each transformation was temporary. The knowledge that he was not truly human never left his thoughts; it was a painful reminder that he, and everyone else like him, were not equals in the eyes of a ruthless and nefarious government.

But now, now that feeling was gone; it had melted away the second the last drop of the potion had touched his lips. Even though he knew it was much too soon to tell back then, his intuition told him that there was no going back, that the human form he now possessed was permanent. He knew Zoro was trying (and failing miserably) to keep his apprehensions to a minimum, but Law never shared his concerns.

However, he couldn't deny that the attention Zoro was giving him felt much more comfortable than he could have ever imagined.

"Hey." Law placed his hand on top of Zoro's and squeezed ever so slightly. He didn't remove it (Zoro's touch also felt unexpectedly nice) but rather, he laced his fingers in between Zoro's.

Zoro looked up at him questioning eyes. "Yeah?"

"How long did Moira say it would be until we get to Myxtros?"

"At least three weeks," Zoro replied. "It doesn't look nearly as far on a map, but that's only if we were to go through the Qualtizar asteroid belt."

"No thanks," Law chuckled lightly. Now that his reasons for living had infinitely increased, he wasn't too keen on doing anything that would cut his life short.

"My thoughts exactly." A soft smile graced Zoro's lips; Law felt every ounce of happiness Zoro must have been feeling, and he couldn't help but return such a genuine grin.

Neither of them said a word as slowly, yet subconsciously, they began to move closer to each other. Within a matter of seconds, they were mere centimeters apart from each other, and the close proximity sent chills down Law's spine. Now that he was officially a warm-blooded being, he could feel Zoro's warmth radiating from his body, and he idly suspected that this might be one of the most amazing feelings in the entire galaxy. But then again, it really was too soon to tell. There were so many other foreign feelings and sensations he had to experience before he could make an accurate assessment.

"May I…" Zoro's voice trailed off, as if he was still unsure how Law felt.

Law didn't respond; his eyes lit up with joy before he leaned forward, effectively sealing the gap between them.

Their lips melded together perfectly, as if this had been their thousandth kiss, rather than their first. The way Zoro tentatively, yet gently nibbled on his bottom lip was much more of a turn on than a simple act any right to be; his need for much more than low-key kissing soon became too difficult to contain. Law's idle hands suddenly took on a mind of their own; his deft fingers began to inch their way up Zoro's muscular torso and carefully caress the unique lines and curvatures of his body. He particularly enjoyed tracing along the large scar that ran from Zoro's left shoulder, across his chest, and all the way down to his right hip. He knew that Zoro probably didn't feel the riveting sensations that he got from touching the scarred tissue, but he'd make sure that by the end of night, Zoro felt just as much pleasure as he did.

A muted sigh left Zoro's lips as Law's index finger accidently brushed against a pert nipple; he couldn't suppress a smirk as he immediately took advantage of this newly discovered pleasure point on Zoro's body. His thumb ghosted over the hardened nub, making it even firmer with the light touch.

Law was completely caught off guard when Zoro suddenly broke off the kiss, only to feel his chapped, but surprisingly soft lips against his neck instead. He let out a low, guttural moan in response, a sound that he didn't even know he was capable of.

"Hmm," Zoro hummed against Law's skin, causing him to moan even louder. "I was thinking that you'd be the bigger tease here, but now I'm not so certain."

"Don't get too cocky, Zoro." Law smirked as his free hand ran down the entirety of Zoro's chest before settling itself on Zoro's hipbone. A curious finger prodded at his waistband ever so slightly before carefully slipping in, slowly easing its way towards the erection he knew Zoro was already sporting. "You have yet to see what I'm capable of."

"Oh yeah?" Zoro's breath was hot, and his voice was full of lust as he began to gently nibble on Law's collarbone. "Two can play at that game, you know?"

The response he had at the ready died on his lips as Zoro continued to assault him with tender kisses that made him feel as if he were some sort of divine being that craved for Zoro's constant worship. The pleasure he felt only seemed to intensify tenfold with each kiss Zoro pressed against his heated flesh; he knew that if he didn't do something, he would soon be overwhelmed. As much he didn't mind the idea of such blissful overstimulation, he wanted Zoro to feel at least half as good as he did, and he was sure that wouldn't happen if he didn't pick up his game.

His hands removed themselves from Zoro's chest and waistline and brought them up to carefully cup themselves around Zoro's face.

"Zoro."

His whispered voice halted each and every one of Zoro's ministrations instantly, allowing Law to lift his face so that they were once again at eye level. Zoro's eyes were blurred with a strange mixture of desire and confusion, which only made Law smile.

"What do you say about taking this to the shower?" He asked before once again capturing Zoro's lips in a tender kiss, and gently nibbling on Zoro's bottom lip as he waited for an answer. He no longer needed the water for survival as he once did, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy it anymore.

Zoro seemed to understand that without any need for an explanation.

"I'm down for that," Zoro responded as a devilish hand slid down to pull away the towel that was covering Law's own hardened length.

Law had every intention of tearing apart the black sweats Zoro was wearing, not because he was angry, but rather, because the growing excitement within him continued to bubble steadily, making the desire to see Zoro just as exposed as he was a top priority for him.

But again, it seemed that Zoro had other plans for him. Just as he was about to grab ahold of the cotton fabric that completely hid Zoro's lower half from him, Zoro stood up and backed away from him, just enough so that he was out of Law's reach. Zoro must have seen the melancholic look that flashed through Law's eyes, because he immediately set out to ease Law's worries.

"It's okay." Zoro's strong voice was whispered, but Law could still hear him perfectly. The immediate trust he put into Zoro scared him for the briefest of moments, but he quickly shut away those paranoid thoughts. After what they'd just been though, if he couldn't put his absolute faith in Zoro's hands now, then he'd never be able to trust anyone, not now, not ever.

Just as he knew he would, Zoro certainly lived up to his promise. His eyes locked onto Law's, and his gaze didn't waver in the slightest as his hips began to gyrate back and forth in the most erotic motions at Law had ever had the pleasure of witnessing. He hadn't realized earlier just how loose Zoro's pants were until they gracefully fell away from Zoro's hips as he continued to move about. The ebony trousers pooled themselves around Zoro's feet, and he stepped out of them with an air of elegance that was perhaps even more arousing to Law than the dance.

"Care to join me?" Zoro asked as he held a hand out to Law.

The dazzling smile that Zoro wore left Law speechless; he didn't say a word as he took Zoro's proffered hand and was led to the bathroom. The trip from the bedroom was completely silent, but Zoro seemed to be in such a hurry, that it hardly mattered. Law was becoming so overwhelmed, that he could barely take in his surroundings, and before he knew it, he was standing before the shower, waiting, albeit impatiently, as Zoro adjusted the shower temperature to the perfect setting.

At last, Zoro turned back to Law, wearing the sexiest grin he had ever seen.

"Come here," he said before stepping into the shower, allowing the water to drench his spiky hair and cascade down his godlike body. His eyes gleamed with an intense passion that compelled Law to follow suit (not that he was ever going to resist in the first place). Soon, Law was soaked from head to toe with warm water that felt heavenly against his skin.

As soon as the shower door was closed, Law was pulled into a tender embrace from Zoro, to which he immediately returned. They remained still for a couple of moments, simply enjoying the closeness they shared together. The sound of running water, echoed throughout Law's ears, which somehow put a comforting edge over their silence. A brief exchange of surprise nose kisses and tender smiles made the moment even more special; Law was almost disappointed that he had to end it, almost.

His erection was still very much present and sorely neglected, and he could feel that Zoro was in the exact same situation. This time, he took the initiative and seized Zoro's cock in his hand before giving it a long, painfully slow stroke.

Finally, Law got the desperate, needy groan from Zoro that he had wanted since the beginning. Zoro's lustful voice conveyed just how much his body yearned for Law's touch, and of course, Law was more than happy to comply.

"Is that good?" The question was obviously rhetoric; Law didn't necessarily expect an answer, but he was very much looking forward to a reaction.

Zoro practically purred in response before taking ahold of Law's dick and returning the favor with vigor. His hand wrapped around Law's head before pulling him for yet another sweet kiss. The longer they kissed, the more fluent their motions got, and the more passionate they became.

"Not to be awkward, but how exactly," Zoro trailed off for a moment. It was hard to tell, but Law could almost swear he could see a light blush spread across Zoro's tanned cheeks, but he was much too preoccupied to call any attention to it.

"How exactly do you wanna do this?" Zoro asked, finishing his earlier question.

The question was vague, but Law knew exactly what Zoro was referring to. He actually hadn't given any thought to that aspect of this situation himself; in an odd, almost sentimental sort of way, it was kind of nice to know Zoro obviously hadn't made any plans about this either. Regardless of what they chose, his primal desire would remain the same: he wanted Zoro. It didn't matter how, just as long as he got his sweet release with Zoro.

"You decide," Law finally replied as he continued to jerk Zoro off with the same, lazy pace.

Zoro's body shivered violently at Law's touch; he didn't answer right away, but Law was more than willing to wait for a response. What he didn't expect, however, was such a rapid recovery from Zoro. He barely saw the mischievous glint in Zoro's eye before his grip on his own dick became much firmer than it already was.

"Have you ever been inside anyone else?" Zoro asked as he began to mimic Laws motions, making him feel the exact same exciting shiver.

"I," Law gasped, loving the way Zoro's hand touched him. From this point on, he had a feeling that proper speech was going to be a troublesome task for him.

"Never," he managed to say.

"Hmm," Zoro purred as he planted a kiss to Law's clavicle. "Then let me be your first."

'And only', was left unsaid, but Law didn't need to hear it in order to know it was there. He was very possessive by nature; it was abundantly clear that Zoro was the same way. A warm, smile spread across his face as he pushed Zoro back, firmly pressing him against the shower's tiled walls before initiating yet another slow, sensual kiss. To Law's chagrin however, it didn't last as long as he would have liked. Zoro broke the sweet kiss just before giving a gentle peck to Law's cheek.

"It'll be easier for both of us if I turn around."

Law had to resist the supreme urge to groan in a disapproving manner. The thought being unable to kiss Zoro's lips didn't settle well with him, but he supposed there were still plenty of other areas on Zoro's body he could kiss. Even so, he didn't have to be pleased with it.

He simply gave Zoro a brief nod before allowing him the space to turn around. Before he did, however, Zoro leaned in and kissed Law once more.

"Don't be so upset." He smiled before turning his back on Law, we can still have plenty of fun like this, I promise."

"I won't thank you for pointing out the obvious." Despite the snappy comment, his tone was anything but rude or condescending. Law knew Zoro couldn't see the smirk that ran across his face, but he sure hoped he'd be able to feel the grin when he pressed his lips against the wet skin of Zoro's shoulder blade.

"Stop being an ass, and start working your way into mine, eh?"

"You're not nearly as clever as you think you are," Law chuckled lightly, running his hands over Zoro's broad shoulders with an affectionate caress before beginning to pepper the nape of his neck with butterfly kisses.

"Heh, don't need too- ah…"

The moan that left Zoro's throat was a borderline growl-the perfect representation of how good that must have felt to him, and Law was eager to do so much more. He continued to plant sweet, open-mouthed kisses down Zoro's back, and let himself indulge in the satisfaction of feeling Zoro's firm muscles beneath his long, deft fingers.

Law could tell that Zoro was trying to keep himself quiet; he didn't have to see how Zoro's teeth tightly clamped down on his bottom lip in order to know it was happening. Soft pants and hushed gasps continued to slip past Zoro's lips-Law was a bit surprised, yet wholly delighted to know that the sound of running water did nothing to drown out such arousing noises.

"Don't be embarrassed," Law said, wanting to hear even more of Zoro's voice as he kissed the small of Zoro's back. "Talk to me. Tell me how much you're enjoying this." His voice held a cautious note of mischief, one he hoped that Zoro would miss, despite the fact that he was already kneeling on the floor behind him, ready to begin his next plan of action.

To his amusement, Zoro responded just like he hoped he would.

"Hmm, you're gonna have to do more than tha- shit!"

"That's a pretty big reaction from you, especially considering how I haven't gone in yet," Law purred in pure delight as he flattened this tongue over the muscled ring around Zoro's entrance. His hands cupped the solid mounds of flesh that were Zoro's buttocks and pulled them further apart so he could have even better access.

It was Zoro's own fault for goading him, really. Law didn't imagine that he'd tease Zoro for very long though; even if he wanted to, his aching erection insisted on being a key factor in determining how much more foreplay he would be able to provide.

"I know we don't have lube, so I figured this'll be the next best thing."

That was the one and only warning Law gave before pressing his tongue against Zoro's opening and pushing inside with little effort. He didn't expect Zoro's muscles to instinctively clamp down on him with a force that threatened to sever his tongue, but he didn't let that small obstacle deter him.

Zoro didn't say a word, but Law could only imagine how nervous he must be. He couldn't speak, but he immediately sought to comfort Zoro and ease him into this as painlessly as possible. His hands rubbed small circles into Zoro's lower back; the gesture was his silent way of letting Zoro know it was going to be alright, and perhaps equally as important, to try and ease up. He couldn't accomplish anything if Zoro wouldn't let him move.

Luckily, Zoro's body seemed to get the message. The pressure on Law's tongue started to gradually lessen, and soon he had to freely move and roll his tongue against Zoro's inner walls.

"Ah…" The content sigh that left Zoro's lips was long and drawn out; it seemed to be the only indication that Law was doing anything right. That is, until he began to change his strategy. His tongue alternated between rolling and flattening positions; the more he did it, the more excited Zoro seemed to become.

Several mumbled grunts and hushed mewls of pleasure escaped Zoro's body, but they weren't good enough for Law, not by a long shot. In order for Zoro to be deemed 'ready', Law need to hear a lot more than that from him, and he knew just how to get it. As he pushed his tongue as deep within Zoro as he could manage, a sly hand slid up Zoro's quivering thigh, caressing the heated skin with a tender touch. Law's hand soon found itself winding around Zoro's waist and carefully wrapping around Zoro's dripping erection.

That one simple action earned Law a slew of blissful curses; the euphoric moans rang throughout the room, reverberating against the shower walls and echoing throughout his ears. His hand lingered on Zoro's dick, stroking it with slow, languid, motions as his tongue continued to do the same from the inside, readying him the best way he could without the aid of lubricant. He knew that his tongue could never imitate neither the length nor the girth of his cock, but it was probably better than using his dry fingers, and it was definitely preferable to no preparation at all.

The pleasured sounds that left Zoro's lips became more erratic, bordering on the verge of desperation, but it wasn't until Law flicked his tongue against Zoro's prostate for the first time that he truly sounded 'needy'.

"Shit, Law…" Zoro's breathing was ragged; it took him a few seconds to catch his breath. The temptation to keep teasing Zoro was exceptionally strong, but Law managed to push it aside. Truth be known, he'd much rather hear what Zoro had to say.

"Quit screwing around, will you?"

The phrase wasn't as nicely put as Law would have liked, but he got the message loud and clear (knowing Zoro, that was probably one of the better ways he could have asked for Law to move on). He retracted his tongue from Zoro in one, fluent motion; he could practically feel Zoro's body shiver with excitement as he rose to his feet, kissing his way up Zoro's back until he was standing tall once again.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Law asked, unable to stop himself from teasing Zoro one last time. He nuzzled Zoro's surprisingly soft hair, relishing in its natural scent.

"Been ready." Zoro's voice was low and conveyed his desire for Law perfectly, making it nearly impossible for Law to refuse him.

Law didn't say anything more as he lined his cock up with Zoro's entrance. He could feel Zoro's body tremble ever so slightly beneath the hold he had on his shoulder blade; the involuntary reaction ceased immediately once Law leaned in to place a soft kiss on the shell of Zoro's ear. In his own silent way, Law gave Zoro all the comfort he needed as he carefully, yet swiftly, entered Zoro's body with one abrupt thrust.

How he accomplished it he didn't know. It was a miraculous feat, the likes of which he was sure he'd never be able to achieve again, but with sheer willpower alone, he managed to ignore the warm, almost heavenly sensation that encased his erection for the time being, in favor of tending to Zoro. He was a bit taken back, yet wholly relieved at the same time to see how Zoro barely reacted to the sudden intrusion. His body took on a more rigid posture, but Law had expected that. Even so, he could tell from Zoro's respiration rate and the way he remained perfectly still that the pain caused was minimal.

"Move."

Zoro's command almost caught Law off guard, but he didn't need to be told twice. With Zoro's permission, Law finally let himself become lost to the sweet, sweet feelings that washed over his body, striking the very core of his existence with a blissful euphoria he had never experienced before. The pace he set thrusting in and out of Zoro's body started off slow, almost painfully so. A small part of him knew what Zoro's body was capable of, he knew that Zoro could handle so much more than what Law was giving him, but a larger, much louder side of Law's psyche insisted that he keep a steadfast grip on what was left of his self-control.

He heard Zoro hum softly before turning towards him as much as he could while still in his current position. He looked at Law with lustful eyes as he somehow managed to land a quick, yet amazingly sensual kiss to Law's lips.

"Damn," he practically moaned, "feels good, but kick it up a notch, yeah?" The smirk Zoro gave him sent chills down his spine. "You're not gonna break me."

Law had known that, of course, but the verbal reassurance seemed to be just the thing he needed to hear. From that moment on, he let it all go, deciding to holding nothing back, which if he were being completely honest with himself, was by far the best choice he had made all night. Pure, unadulterated pleasure consumed his entire being as his movements became faster, and more irregular as his dick was repeatedly engulfed by the fiery heat of Zoro's body.

With an unwavering amount of accuracy, Law hit Zoro's prostate with each erratic thrust, effectively making Zoro unable to suppress the blissful sounds that left his lips in droves. By now, he was shaking violently with pleasure, Law could feel Zoro's oversensitive body shudder against him; the added vibrations only amplified Law's own euphoria, bringing him closer and closer to the edge.

As Law quickened his pace, the sluggish strokes he had been giving Zoro's dick sped up as well, until he was jerking Zoro off in perfect unison with the pace he had set within Zoro. His hand was slick with pre-ejaculate, and with how his cock was throbbing in his hold, Law could feel that Zoro was quickly approaching his climax. Luckily, he knew it wouldn't be long for himself either; he didn't stand a chance against the way Zoro's body instinctively tightened around him with each inward thrust.

"Zoro…"

Law couldn't register the sound of his own voice, not that it mattered. Zoro had heard him, and he seemed to understand what was being asked of him, even if Law had trouble figuring that part out for himself.

Zoro braced himself against the shower wall with his forearm before once again turning as best he could towards Law. Law felt Zoro's fingers weave into his hair before being pulled into another passionate kiss, one that conveyed a mixture of strange, almost frightening emotions that Law wouldn't allow himself to dwell on.

In that one kiss, Law came completely undone. He came violently, causing his entire body to be overwhelmed with an unrelenting pleasure, that for a moment, he was sure would last for all eternity. Zoro's simultaneous climax only seemed to add to the blissful sensation; his trembling body vibrated against Law in the best of ways, making the entire experience all the more enjoyable.

It wasn't until Law came down from his 'high' that he realized that they were still in the shower, surrounded by water. For him to lose recollection of such an important detail, Zoro must have consumed his every thought, and claimed his senses along with it. Oddly enough, Law didn't think he minded.

"How was it?" Zoro's voice held a tentative note as Law carefully pulled away from him. A soft sound, almost akin to whimper, ripped itself away from his throat.

"Incredible," Law replied simply, completely forgoing the opportunity to tease Zoro about his apparent bashfulness as he planted a gentle kiss to the back of Zoro's neck.

"I'm glad I found you."

The statement was elementary, yet Zoro's words held a secret that was impossible for Law to miss. The true meaning was left unsaid, but Law didn't need to hear it. He knew all too well what Zoro was really trying to say.

"Me too, Zoro." Law smiled before helping Zoro turn around so he could wrap his arms around Zoro in a tight embrace that he unrealistically hoped would never end. The water that showered down on them was starting to run cold. He didn't mind, but he hoped Zoro could bear it, even if for just a little bit longer.

"Me too."

* * *


End file.
